OAKLAND -- The on-field celebration was brief and relatively muted, players standing between the mound and second base for a few minutes, sharing hugs and pulling on gray T-shirts advertising a bright gold statement that is as amazing as it is accurate:

"We A's Own The West."

The confirmation came Sunday, when Texas lost at Kansas City, but the party couldn't start for another two hours, not until the A's had dispatched Minnesota 11-7 before 30,589 at the Coliseum.

Those who had raced onto the field after the final out then jogged back into the clubhouse, grabbing bottles and returning to spray champagne on cheering A's fans standing behind the dugouts and along the foul lines. Only free-spirited Josh Reddick delivered an encore, running about the outfield, bottle aloft, to acknowledge fans in the bleachers.

This was a solid celebration, appropriate yet somehow restrained, perhaps by design.

These A's want more. Winning the division was Goal 1, but achieving it does not satiate their appetite for success. They remember last year, the triumphant sprint to the finish and the sudden appearance in the postseason.

They remember the newness and raw enthusiasm at the beginning of the playoffs and the aching emptiness at the end, after they were ousted by Detroit.

If 2012 was about discovery for the A's, 2013 is about ownership.

"From spring training on, we had a different mindset," manager Bob Melvin said, standing down the hall from a raucous clubhouse reeking of champagne and beer. "We have unfinished business, something else to achieve."

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Third baseman Josh Donaldson, standing in a shallow pool of brew, elaborated: "Last year, we did some special things. We had an opportunity to take it all the way. When you don't finish, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

"We wanted to win the World Series. We're going after it again this year, and we feel we're a better team."

Truth be told, this Oakland team is as good or better in every meaningful way than last year's version. Those A's were rookies on the big stage, riding a wave of emotion. They took the Tigers to five games in the American League Division Series before being shut out by Justin Verlander in a decisive Game 5.

Oakland was a novelty last year. This year, having spent most of the season with at least a piece of the A.L. West lead, the A's are practically a fixture. They know they belong.

Moreover, they are better equipped to make an extended run. While the A's pitch about as well as they did last season, their offense is more reliable. They get on base more frequently and hit for a higher average. Oakland with six games left has scored 734 runs, 21 more than last season, and already has surpassed its homer total from players not named Reddick.

"This is probably a little bit deeper team," general manager Billy Beane said before offering a few words about the importance of the final six games, during which home-field advantage will be at stake.

"There's some incentive. Those games have meaning for us."

The next week, then, is about trying to win while digging into the fine points of preparation, something at which the A's excel. Their minds must stay on the Angels and Mariners, even if their hearts look forward to potential postseason opponents, such as the Tigers or Red Sox.

Oakland's pitching rotation is lined up, with Bartolo Colon as the No. 1 starter, followed by Jarrod Parker. The hitters can't possibly stay as hot as they did while scoring 39 runs during the four-game sweep of the Twins. But the lineup is inherently variable. It changes constantly, though results have remained consistent.

This is important because no pitcher the A's face is likely to master them as well as Verlander did last October. He accounted for two of Detroit's three victories -- including the series clincher in Oakland. That he is having a substandard season makes the Tigers, a likely first-round opponent, much less imposing.

"Playing the Tigers was a learning experience for us," second baseman Eric Sogard said. "We learned. We have a great shot with this team to go farther. That's been our goal all along."

So the A's will soak in the bubbly for a few hours. They'll enjoy the division title for one evening. Then they'll reset, for there are games to play in the coming days, with much higher stakes coming the following week.

Oakland Athletics players and fans exult as the last out of the game is made against the Minnesota Twins, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013, at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. The A's won, 11-7, and clinched the American League West Division for the second consecutive year. (D. Ross Cameron/Bay Area News Group) (D. ROSS CAMERON)

The A's indeed own the A.L. West. Year-old memories remind them there is much more to collect and appreciate, and that it is within their reach.